Too Much Green

You never saw green? I'm not sure how that even possible. 7 bars is normal behavior.

Anywho, the thing to watch is your MPG results. Even with 8 bars, the battery isn't actually full. It's only at 80% total capacity. So, there likely isn't anything to worry about.

Purchase an aftermarket gauge if you want to see that value and learn more about what the system is actually doing behind the scenes. The Bluetooth adapter & Phone app option only costs about $25.

 

Hi Vince. It's not uncommon for most of us to see green bars SOC. If your battery was failing then you'd likely see very low SOC (red bars) too, along with relatively rapid swings between the two.

One simple thing that could worth checking is the rear battery fan/vent, to make sure it isn't clogged up. I've noticed that when the battery temperature gets a little too high that it becomes reluctant to use the EV power and as a result you tend to see more green.

Maybe not as likely to cause the symptoms, but also check that your inverter coolant pump is running as this is a very easy test and a fairly common failure.

 

Once you get out of the warranty zone, I can understand the concern. But my advice would be just try not to worry. Just keep driving it and enjoying it.

Someday, the battery will fail. Maybe it will give you some warning in the form of erratic behavior and/or deteriorating MPG...or maybe it won't. But since you have enjoyed your vehicle, and since you state you wouldn't hesitate to replace and continue...I'd say just relax.

This is easy for me to say right now, as my Prius battery is almost brand new, and well under warranty, but I've already saved a few links to Re-Involt and other battery re manufacturers, and I've already looked up the highest ranked independent shops in my local area that do work on Hybrids. Mostly in anticipation of the day, maybe years and years in the future when I will be forced to face this reality. So I'd say, take the casual time to investigate your battery replacement options, be aware of the costs of these options....then in the meantime just keep driving and enjoying.

 

That's excellent advice, something rarely considered.